Madison’s maker movement gaining STEAM

A giant lizard sculpture from artist Erika Koivunen, who is scheduled to present her works at the Madison Mini Maker Faire, May 14 at Monona Terrace.

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Show of hands: Who has ever looked at a piece of contemporary art or sculpture and thought some variation of, “My kid could do that”?

If your hand is up (and even if it’s not), this spring’s first-ever Madison Mini Maker Faire is calling your name. Makers of all ages will be showcasing their handiwork as part of the wider “maker movement.”

The maker movement is the broad term for inventors, designers, and tinkerers — and more specifically the convergence of traditional artisans with hacker culture (namely individuals who embrace the intellectual pursuit of overcoming systems-based limitations in computers, among other activities) — who make functional products and artwork that have been repurposed from unused, discarded, or broken electronics, plastics, metals, or virtually any other material.

With a focus on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), the maker movement is also forging new pathways in innovative education. Madison is already well on its way in this regard, with the StartingBlock entrepreneurial hub front and center in the local maker movement, as well as makerspaces at UW–Madison, the Madison Public Library’s “Bubbler” space, Sector 67, and The Bodgery.

The maker movement has grown so widespread that it’s spawned its own magazine, Make:, which in turn led to the creation of the original Maker Faire in the San Francisco Bay area in 2006. Since then, maker faires have been popping up across the country and around the globe in increasing numbers.

“Madison Mini Maker Faire will be the only one of its kind in Madison, and will join the ranks of hundreds of communities all over the world that are producing Maker Faires,” says Fran Puleo, community & public relations manager for Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center, which is hosting the event. “Maker Faire is a family-friendly festival of invention, creativity, and expression. It’s an all-ages gathering of makers — artists, hackers, crafters, educators, food-makers, hobbyists, engineers, authors, musicians, local organizations, and commercial exhibitors. Makers come together to show what they have made and to share what they have learned through hands-on exhibits offered to the public.”

Currently, a call is on for makers of all ages to participate and display their creations for all of Dane County to see. Artists, performers, and crafters may apply from now through March 31 at makerfairemadison.com/call-for-makers to participate. There is no cost for any groups or individuals interested in presenting their project, activity, or performance at the Faire; however, anyone wishing to sell their creations at the event is required to pay a $100 fee to participate.

Maker Faire event coordinator Heather Sabin says 50 to 75 local artists and makers are expected to participate in the inaugural Madison event, ranging from hobbyists to professionals who earn income from their making.

“Through the process of getting to know different maker communities in Madison, I have spoken to individuals who began pursuing their maker hobbies as retirees, to, for instance, a person who is developing prototypes for prosthetics that he hopes to put on the market,” notes Sabin.